Official: Testing Thread

Good to hear no problems for Mclaren. Lap times look consistent aswell. Positive

 

After the burning issues, Ferrari were playing around with the exhaust position:

please log in to view this image

 

Now we wait to see whats been spotted of interest on the cars

 

Playing around with exhaust positions? You mean they cut back some bodywork and pushed the pipe about a bit? One of the things I will always love about F1 is that, no matter how complicated it gets, some of the solutions to problems are very, very simple. Want to study air flow - chuck a tin of paint over the wing. Bits flapping about? Duck Tape.

 

Anyone know if theres any speed trap data available? Or even more rare, apex speed trap data?

 

There is no substance to his time, everybody is doing something different.
So what do you mean?

 

Tidy(ish) testing times/laps

<style type="text/css">
table.tableizer-table {border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;} .tableizer-table td {padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc;}
.tableizer-table th {background-color: #104E8B; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold;}
</style>

<table class="tableizer-table">
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th>Pos</th><th>Driver</th><th>Team</th><th>Time</th><th>Laps</th></tr> <tr><td>1</td><td> Raikkonen</td><td>Lotus</td><td> 1m19.670s</td><td>75</td></tr> <tr><td>2</td><td> Di Resta</td><td>Force India</td><td> 1m19.772s +0.102</td><td>101</td></tr> <tr><td>3</td><td> Rosberg</td><td>Mercedes</td><td> 1m20.219s +0.549</td><td>56</td></tr> <tr><td>4</td><td> Webber</td><td>Red Bull</td><td> 1m20.496s +0.826</td><td>54</td></tr> <tr><td>5</td><td> Ricciardo</td><td>Toro Rosso</td><td> 1m20.694s +1.024</td><td>57</td></tr> <tr><td>6</td><td> Schumacher</td><td>Mercedes</td><td> 1m20.794s +1.124</td><td>42</td></tr> <tr><td>7</td><td> Kobayashi</td><td>Sauber</td><td> 1m21.353s +1.683</td><td>106</td></tr> <tr><td>8</td><td> Button</td><td>McLaren</td><td> 1m21.530s +1.860</td><td>62</td></tr> <tr><td>9</td><td> Massa</td><td>Ferrari</td><td> 1m22.815s +3.145</td><td>69</td></tr> <tr><td>10</td><td> Kovalainen</td><td>Caterham</td><td> 1m23.178s +3.508</td><td>28</td></tr> <tr><td>11</td><td> Maldonado</td><td>Williams</td><td> 1m23.371s +3.701</td><td>25</td></tr> <tr><td>12</td><td> De la Rosa</td><td>HRT</td><td> 1m23.676s +4.006</td><td>44</td></tr></table>

 

My theory: Lotus and Force India were going all out, Ferrari were sandbagging.

Red Bull ominous.

Williams were depressingly slow.

 

Weren't Williams quickest on the first day last year? If they are running a similar testing program, they are going to be royally screwed this year.

 

They were blowing at the beam wing (which is what Red Bull are doing).

Anywaym, some testing videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CXLZ78_88c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Q_zThyBFU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNODkBb6_Ok
....and this beautiful picture!

Bianchi will be testing tomorrow morning, with Di Resta taking over in the afternoon.

 

Good day for Force India getting in 101 trouble-free laps and second spot. We can't read too much into Kimi's pace though, apparently a lot of Lotus sponsors were in the paddock.

 

Thanks for the vids, Forza. I'll watch them later.

Can we do tables now, BLS? Could've done with that last season.

 

Why did Red Bull delay going out?

 

They're html tables and currently partially restricted. I'm not sure when they'll be open to all but I'll table stuff for people if needed for now.

 

Waiting for their wings to be flown in. Fog ment that the plane was re-directed to a airport 2 hours away. That's why they were 2 hours late.

 

Ok, cheers

 

My God, there are some pig ugly cars, what have they used to produce that Ferrari, Lego !!!!!

 

Formula 1's leading technical directors are not ruling out the prospect of arguments over the legality of designs that make use of exhaust gases dragging into the start of the season.

Although the FIA made it clear earlier this year that it will not tolerate any aerodynamic exploitation from exhaust blowing this year, some teams are still pushing the limits to see what they are and are not allowed to do.

The location and angles of the new periscope exhausts are strictly defined for 2012, but AUTOSPORT has learned that that has not stopped some outfits from trying to find ways of diverting the flow into other parts of the cars - like specially designed rear air ducts when they can then be reflowed over other aerodynamic devices.

The FIA has said, however, that any device that it believes is diverting air for the principal purpose of helping aerodynamics will not be allowed.

Although the FIA's stance is quite clear, some technical bosses still believe that the matter may drag on into the campaign before it is finally settled.

The FIA's Charlie Whiting arrived at Jerez on Tuesday as part of a fact-finding visit on the 2012 car designs. He is expected to take a look at what teams are up to, and ensure that each outfit is clear on what they can and cannot do with exhausts.

Red Bull Racing technical chief Adrian Newey said at Jerez: "The FIA has been reasonably specific in what they will and won't allow exhaust wise.

"They don't want to see what have been capture ducts scooping the exhaust flow out of a fully enclosed duct, and then using that scoop to duct it somewhere else on the car. Plus, we have the various exclusion zones where you can't have bodywork.

"Providing you satisfy those, hopefully there won't be too much controversy. But there's always a chance that somebody will come up with something that is right on the border and will be subject to interpretation."

Renault technical director James Allison told AUTOSPORT before the start of the Jerez test that there was likely to be some toing-and-froing between the teams and the FIA over the matter, following a clarification in a Technical Directive that was issued last month.

"I think the wording of the Technical Directive says something along the lines that any designs that re-ingest or redirect exhaust flow for principally aerodynamic reasons will not be permitted," said Allison.

"The rule itself just determines how big the exhaust has to be, where it connects it, what angles it connects it from. But then the directive says you can satisfy the rule, but if we regard the concept of what you have done as satisfying the rule, but nevertheless done principally for downforce generation, then we might have to take a view on that. I think there will be a degree of jostling to work out where the line of acceptable geometries are."

Other team principals were more confident that they knew where the limits were.

When asked by AUTOSPORT about the situation, Ferrari chief designer Nicolas Tombazis said: "We have already had quite a lot of correspondence [with the FIA] and I think it is quite clear what is allowed. I believe what we have is completely legal."

Scuderia Toro Rosso technical director Giorgio Ascanelli added: "Charlie doesn't want any aerodynamic influence from the exhausts. The FIA does not accept it. There is a Technical Directive which limits the amount of energy you can actually channel, and I think this is correct."

 

It cannot possibly be that hard to get rid of any potential aero benefit from the exhaust - why not just say that it must exit the car parallel to the floor?

 

Or be really extreme and demand that it must exit behind the rest of the car